Who Is the World’s Strongest Appraiser? ~Living in Another World With Satisfying Meals~

Scent Can Be A Weapon

“…Huh? What’s that?”

“Ah… a newbie adventurer from the countryside, absolutely convinced they’re invincible?”

“Yikes.”

Yuuri twisted his face in mild displeasure as he commented, prompting Kurresh to sigh with a distant look. Yuuri responded similarly, while at his feet, Rooks bounced with a boing, as if to express his annoyance. Watching their reactions, Jake could only shrug with a weary expression.

Though it was an unusual group, their gathering wasn’t preplanned. Each had coincidentally overlapping errands, leading to their joint venture of three people and one creature. Yuuri was, as always, out shopping for groceries, with Rooks as his escort. Kurresh was on his way to submit a map he’d made to the Adventurers’ Guild. Jake, meanwhile, had a dual purpose: delivering a report requested by the Guildmaster and visiting bookstores. Despite their differing agendas, their destinations largely aligned, so they traveled together.

As they neared the Adventurers’ Guild, a commotion grew louder, drawing curious tilts of their heads. Although skirmishes weren’t uncommon in a guild filled with rough characters, they were rare in this capital city, where adventurers were generally well-behaved. Ordinarily, such disputes would be swiftly mediated by responsible adventurers or guild staff.

But today was different. Before their eyes, several adventurers—rough-looking, imposing figures—were intimidating the crowd with unnecessary aggression. To Yuuri, it was as unpleasant as encountering irate customers picking fights with strangers in the streets. He couldn’t help but wonder, what kind of person behaves like that? Sure, everyone inconveniences others at times, but deliberately causing trouble is a different story.

“Hey, Kurre.”

“…Ah, I get what you’re saying. I really do, but…”

Kurresh averted his gaze from Yuuri, who stared up at him expectantly. Though just a trainee, Kurresh was still an adventurer, albeit a scout. His strengths lay in exploration and support, not direct combat. Besides, the men causing trouble were clearly frontline fighters, with burly physiques.

It was no wonder Kurresh muttered, “Should’ve brought Lelei along.” Despite her slender frame, Lelei—a martial artist with beastfolk ancestry—possessed immense power, capable of smashing rocks with her fists.

Kurresh hesitated not out of fear for himself, but for Yuuri, a civilian, and Jake, whose physical capabilities barely matched those of an average person. Though Rooks bounced energetically, as if to say “Leave it to me!”, Kurresh felt uneasy entrusting him with their safety. If the troublemakers discovered Yuuri and Jake’s connection to him, they might escalate the harassment.

…Thus, Jake continued to be regarded as a useless, cautionary tale of an old adventurer, even by a trainee like Kurresh.

While Kurresh mulled over his options, it happened. Or rather, he arrived.

“Would you mind not embarrassing yourselves like this?”

The voice, soft yet filled with displeasure, irritation, and disdain, turned heads. It was a gentle, feminine tone layered over a distinctly masculine timbre. Recognizing it immediately, the trio looked toward the source. There stood a breathtakingly beautiful figure, hand to cheek in a troubled yet dazzling smile.

“Oh, it’s Leone-san.”

“Those guys are done for.”

“My, my. Seeing Leone at the guild is a rare treat.”

“Chirp, chirp!”

Yuuri murmured in his usual carefree tone, Kurresh offered silent prayers for the men’s souls, and Jake chuckled with amusement. Even Rooks lit up at the sight of their familiar, radiant friend.

Leone, a striking figure blending masculine and feminine strength, exuded an invincible presence. Though dressed impractically for combat, his smile alone cowed the troublemakers. Leone, whose full name was Leopold, now worked as a perfumer but was once an adventurer and skilled apothecary. Beneath his delicate appearance lay muscles capable of dispatching ruffians with ease. Though his gentle demeanor often led people to forget, Leone had once journeyed with legends like Ari and Brook.

“But there are five of them. Will Leone-san be okay?”

“Not a problem at all.”

“Yuuri-kun, there’s no need to worry.”

“Really?”

“Oh, quite the contrary. This will be fun to watch.”

Jake’s cheerful grin hinted at his amusement, while Kurresh’s gaze was fixated on Leone’s hands with intense curiosity. Puzzled, Yuuri glanced between them and Leone, wondering what caught their attention.

Leopold maintained his gentle smile, but the troublemakers, emboldened by his lack of visible weaponry, surged toward him with jeers. Instead of showing restraint, they opted for hostility, failing to recognize their own fault in the situation.

Several onlookers winced, while others seemed resigned, as though muttering, Here we go again. After all, the beautiful, infamous Leone was a well-known figure.

“Oh no.”